U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,405 issued Apr. 8, 2003 to Sachdev et al. (the '405 patent) describes a modular automotive engine architecture that enables different cylinder blocks to be combined with a common crank case design. The '405 patent is hereby incorporated in full by reference for its description of the engine.
The '405 patent discloses an engine that includes a cast crankcase and an extruded cylinder bore block that are separated by a mid-plate. The cast crankcase has a closed bottom with an open top adjacent the bottom of the cylinder block. The crankcase contains a crankshaft and attached connecting rods. The rods with their attached pistons extend into the bores of the cylinder block. The mid-plate closes the crankcase top except for holes accommodating the motion of the connecting rods and for drainage of lubrication oil from the block to the crankcase. The unique architecture allows different cylinder bore blocks with different displacements to be paired with a common crankcase design. But this new engine architecture presents a challenge in assembly of the crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons with piston rings in the crankcase and cylinder block as they are brought together.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for assembling such a modular automotive engine.